Supervisory system



Oct; 21, 1941.

C. E. STEWART sUPERvIsoRY SYSTEM Filed Nov. '7, 1959 NSN Inventor: Clgde E. Stevvavt, b )Van/7615 H His Attorney Patented Oct. 21, 1.941

Clyde E. stewart, Upper Darbygra',

assignor` Vto General yElectric Company, aY corporationA of New York Application November 7, 19392 Serial'No. 303,237 I 6 Claims. (015177-353) My invention yrelates .to supervisory systems and lparticularly to supervisory systems of the cable type n which control and indicating mpulses are directly transmitted between each apparatus Yunit and the control station over conductors individual to each unit.` Heretofore,

in supervisory systems of the cable type, it has been the practice to provide, in addition to the common battery conductors extending between the apparatus units and the Control station, a

pair of conductors for each apparatus unit, one

of each Vpair being a lcontrol conductor and the other an indication conducto-r.

One object ofrmy invention is to provide an improved cable type supervisory system which requires a smaller number of conductors between the control stationv and the various apparatus units than has been required in previous systems o this type.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cable type supervisory system which employs only three common conductors and an individual conductor for each apparatus unit in addition to the common battery conductors between the control station and the various apparatus units.

My invention will 4be better understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing ,the single gu-re of which diagrammatically illustrates a cable type supervisory system embodying my lly,

vention and its scope will be pointed out in the .appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing AUI and A U2 represent two of a plurality of remote apparatus units which are arranged to lbe controlled and supervised from a control station CS. As shown,

the apparatus units AUI and AU2 lare circuit breakers of the well known latched-in type and are respectively provided with suitable closing -coils CCI and CCZ and trip coils TCI and TG2. The circuit of each trip coil is arranged to be completed by an associated `Overcurrentf relay, such as relays OCI and -OC2 for trip coils. TCI and TG2 respectively, which is so connected as to be responsive to an abnormal current through the associated circuit breaker. trip coil is also arranged to be completed by an associated control relay, such as relays CRI and CRZ for trip coils TC'I and TG2 respectively, when it is energized. The circuit of eacjh closing coil is arranged to be vcompleted by an associated con-trol relay, such as relay CCRI and CCR2 yfor .clos-ing coils .CCI and CCZ respectively, when it is energized. Each apparatus unit also .l1-as as- The circuit oi each sociated therewith an individual selection relay, so

' and controlled es relays SRI and saltos apparatus oUi and AUZ respentirelyl which,y when energized, oonneots the associated closingoonY trol relay and-tripping control telaylxrssleotive 1y, to the common close and trip ,oontluotors CC and TC which .extend from control station Qs to all of the apparatus units.

such

At the control station an individual group of control keys and signal lamps is provided lor. each -reniote apparatus unit to he .supervised therefrom.v` The individual group of .control keys for apparatus unit AUI comprises a two-position select key SKI, Whiohsis, moved from its normal position, which is the position in which it is shown, toits selecting position when it is desiredk to control apparatus unit AUI from control station CSV', and a twice-position disagrees ment lsor.D,I .Lr Whioheontrols by its position the lighting of an associated white lamp- LWI so that itis lighted when the position of key DKI deesnot agree with the position of the asso ciated apparatus unit AUI The individual group of Asignal lamps for 'apparatus unit AUI also in-A cludes a red lamp LRI, which, when lighted, in-r dicaftes that apparatus unit AUI is in its closed position, a green lamp yLGI 'whichJ when lighted, indicates that apparat-ns AUI is open and an amberlarnp LAI, whohfwheh lighted, indi-e .cates that the associatedapparatus unit AUI has been selected so that the operation of a master control-key whioh is common to all of tht` apparatus units and which is located at th@ control station CS, can efect the closing of ape paratus unit AUI, if it isopen, and the operation of a similar master trip key MTK at the control station Cs can effect the opening oi apparatus unit AUI, if it is closed;

The `individual. groupy ol control keys and signal lampsfor the apparatus unitVAlUfZ Cori',- sists of asimilar select key 5K2`J disagreement ykey DKZ, white lamp LWZ, red lamp LRZ., green lamp LG2 and amber lamp LAZ.

The red and green lam-ps for veach group of A,signaling lamps are connected respectively be. ltween the positive and negative terminals of 44a suitable battery B and one end of an individual indication and selection conductor, the other end of which is rconnected in series with the venergi-zing winding of an associated selection relay to either the positive or the negative terminal of the battery B. ydepending upon the position `of the associated apparatusunit. For example, one end of the indication and selection conductor .ISI, Wliioli is individual to apparatus yunit AUI and extends :from cont-rol :station .CS to appara tus unit AUI, is connected to the positive terminal of battery B through red lamp LRI and to the negative terminal of the battery B through green lamp LGI. The other end of conductor ISI is arranged to be connected in series with the operating winding OW of selection relay SRI to the positive terminal of battery B through the contacts d of apparatus unit AUI, if it is open, or to the negative terminal of battery B through the contacts c of apparatus unit AUI, if it is closed. Similarly, one end of the indication and selection conductor IS2, which is individual to apparatus unit AU2 and extends from control station CS to apparatus uunit AU2, is connected to the positive terminal of battery B through red lamp LR2 and to the negative terminal of battery B through green lamp LG2. 'Ihe other end of conductor IS2 is connected Vin series with the operating winding OW of selection relay SR2 to the positive terminal of battery B through the contacts d of apparatus unit AUZ, ifit is open, and to the negative terminal of battery B through the contacts c of apparatus unit AUZ, if it is closed.

Therefore, it will be seen that the red and green lamps yof each group of signal lamps are selectively lighted in accordance with the position of the corresponding apparatus unit. The operating windings of the selection relays are marginal so that the current that normally flows through each individual indication and selection conductor Yand the winding OW of the associated selection relay to light the associated signal lamps, however, is not suicient to eiect the operation of the relay. Y

While I have shown a single battery B, it will be obvious that a separate battery at the control station and at the remote station, where the apparatus units are located, may be used instead and in that case only the neutral terminals of the two batteries need to be interconnected directly by conductors extending between the two stations. Y

Each white lamp is connected in series with the normally closed contacts b of the associated select key between the associated indicationv and selection conductor and either the positive or negative terminal of battery B depending upon the position of the associated disagreement key. For example, when disagreement key DKI is in the position in which it is shown, which is the position thereof corresponding to the closed position of the associated apparatusunit AUI, a circuit is completed from conductor'ISI through white lamp LWI, contacts b of select key SKIcontacts b of disagree- `ment key DKI, winding of relay AT to the negative terminal of battery B. When disagree- 'ment key DKI is in itsl other position, which is the position thereof corresponding to the open position of apparatus unit AUI, a circuit is completed from conductor ISI through white lamp LWI, contacts Z7 of select key SKI, contacts a of disagreement key DKI, winding of relay AC to the' positive terminal of battery B. When either relay AC or AT is energized, the operation of an associated pilot lamp relay PLR is effected to complete a circuit for a pilot lamp PL which remains lighted until the operator manually opens a pilot light key PLK. The lighting -Of the pilot lamp PL informs the operator that `one of the apparatus units has automatically operated.

Each select key, when moved to its selecting position, completes an'energizing circuit for the azcopci operating winding OW of the associated switching relay. For example, when select key SKI is moved to its selecting position, an energizing circuit is completed for operating winding OW of switching relay AI through contacts a of select key SKI, contacts b of a control relay AX if all of the other select keys are in their normal positions and contacts b of relay CW if line wires CC and TC are free from positive potential. By closing its contacts a, switching relay AI completes an energizing circuit for its holding winding HW through contacts c of the associated select key SKI and the winding of the common control relay AX, which by opening its contacts b, insures that no other switching relay can be energized while relay AI is energized.

By closing its contacts c, each switching relay 'l prepares a circuit between its associated indication and selection conductor and the neutral terminal of battery B, which is completed through the contacts a of a common start key STK when it is moved to its starting position. The operation of start key STK, while the common control relay AX is energized, also completes through contacts c of start key S'IK an energizing circuit for an associated start relay STR, which in turn completes a locking circuit for itself, which is independent of the position of start key STK.

The increase in current in an indication and selection conductor, which occurs when it is connected directly to the neutral terminal of battery B in response to the operation of start key STK, causes the marginal operating winding OW of the associated selection relay to be energized sullciently to eiect the operation of the relay so that the closing control relay and tripping control relay of the associated' apparatus unit are respectively connected to the common closing conductor CC and the-common tripping conductor TC respectively. Also, by closing its contacts a, the selection relay connects its holding winding HW between the neutral terminal of battery B and a common indicating conductor yIC which extends from the control station to all of the apparatus units.

At control station CS, start relay STR, when energized, completes through the common indicating conductor IC an energizing circuit for the amber lamp associated with the operated select key when the corresponding selection relay is in its operated position. The lighting of an amber lamp informs the operator that the corresponding apparatus unit has been selected and may be opened or closed by operating master close key MCK or master trip key MTK.

. A start lamp STL is provided at control station CS and is controlled by vstart relay STR and the common control relay AX so that it is lighted when the supervisory system is in an operative condition to make a selectio When the system is at rest, the common close conductor CC and the common trip conductor TC are respectively supervised against possible external applications of potential which might otherwise cause an operation of an apparatus unit after it has been selected. At control station CS, the common close conductor CC is normally connected vto the negative terminal of battery B through winding X of a two-winding relay CW, when master close key MCK is in its normal position, and the common trip conductor TC is normally connected to the negative terminal of battery B through the other winding y of relay CW when master trip key MTK is ecdcci The operation of thesystem shown in the rdrawl ing is as follows:

lWith `the system at-res't and infan operative condition and all of the apparatus units in their cio'sed position, the various control-devicesare in the positions in which they are' shown in the drawing. Start lamp STL is lighted by acircuit 'which is'comfpleted 4from the'posi-tive terminal of battery B through contacts b of relay CW, contacts b of relay AX, and conta-cts o of start relay STR. RedV lamp LRI is lighted by a circuit which is completed from the negative terminal of battery B through contacts c -of apparatus unit AUI, winding OW of selection relay SRI, conductor ISI, lamp LRI to the positive terminal of battery B. The current in this circuit, however, is not sum'cient to eiect the operation ci selection relay SIRI. Lamp LR2 is :lighted by a similar circuit which is ycompleted through contacts c of apparatus unit AU2, winding OW of selection relay SR2 and Yconductor IS2.

It will now be assumed that control station CS desires to open apparatus unit AU2. `A-iter first noting that star-t lamp STL is lighted, the operator moves select key SK2Y to its selecting position and disagreement key DK2 to its other position, which corresponds to the open position of apparatus unit AU2, and .then momentarily moves star-t key STK to its starting position. The closing of contacts a of select key SK2 -com-pletes .an energizing circuit for operating winding OW of switching relay A2 from the positive terminal of battery B through contacts b of relay CW, contacts b` of relay AX, contacts yfr of select key SK2, winding OW ofrelay A2 to the .negative terminal of battery B. The closing of 'contacts a of relay A2 completes an energizing 1circuit .for Iits Yholding winding HW and .for relay AX from the .positive terminal of battery B through the contacts c of select key SK2., contacts a of relay A2, winding HW of relay kA2, winding .of relay to the negative terminal of battery B. The opening of the contacts b of relay AX prevents the ope-rating winding circuit of vany otherswitching relay from being completed as long as .switching relay A2 .remains energized.

The opening of contacts U of relay AX also inter-` rupts the circuit of start lam-p STLso that it becomes extinguished.

The movement of disagreement key-BKZ to its other position does not effect the lighting of white larnlp LWZ at this time because the circuit of this lamp is open at contacts b of the operated select key SK2.

When 'start key STK is moved to its Astarting position, a circuit is completed for start .relay 4STR from the positive terminal of battery b lthrough contacts -c of start key STK, contacts a of control relay AX, winding of relay STR to the 4negative terminal of battery B. By closing its contacts a, start relay STR completes a locking circuit for itself around contacts c of start key STK. The closing cf contacts a of start key V'STK connects indication and selection conductor TS2 directly to the neutral conductor o'f battery 'B through contacts c of the energized switching relay A2 so 'that the current 4through operating the operator at winding'OW of selection relay SR2 increases to such la value that relay SRZoperates. By closing its contacts c and e, relay SR2 respectively connects closing control relay CCR2 and tripping control relay CR2-to-conductors CC and TC. Re-'.

lay SR2 also completes an energizing circuit for its holding winding HW`from the neutral terminal of battery B throughv winding I-IW of relay SR2, contacts a. of relay SR2, common indication vconductor IC, contacts c'oi startrelay STR, contacts e of'switching relay A2, amber lamp LA2, contacts c of disagreement .key DK2 to the positive terminal of batteryv B. The current inthis circuit lights amber lamp LA2 which informs the operator that apparatus unit AU2 has been selected.

After amber lamp LA2 becomes lighted, `the operator moves master trip key MTK .to its tripping position so. that an energizing circuit is cornpleted for control relay GRZ from the positive terminal of battery B through contacts e. ci start relay STR, contactsV a of faster trip key MTK, conductor TC, contacts e of selection Yrelay SR2, Winding of control relay CRZ to the negative terminal of battery B. The closing of contacts a of control relay CRZ completes through auxiliary contacts a of apparatus Vunit AU2 an energizing circuit for trip coil TG2 to effect the opening of apparatus uni-t A132. By opening its auxiliary contacts c and closing its auxiliary contacts d, apparatus unit AU-2 transfers the remote end of conductor IS2-from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of'ba-ttery B. Consequently red lamp LR2 is lextinguished and green lamp LG2 is lighted to inform the operator that apparatus unit AUZ is in its open position. l Y

If the operator desires to reclose apparatus unit AUZ, he closes master close key MCK so that an energizing circuit is completed for clos'- ing control relay CCR2 from the positive terminal of battery B through contacts e of .start relay STR, contacts a of master close key MCK, conductors CC, contacts c of selection relay SR2, contacts b of apparatus unit AUZ, closing control relay CCR2 to the negative side of battery B. The closingv of contacts a of closing vcontrol ,relay CCR2 completes an energizing circuit for closing coil CCI to close apparatus unit AUI.

By opening its auxiliary contacts b and closing its auxiliary contacts a, apparatus unit AU2 causes green lamp LGZ to be extinguished and red lamp LR2 to be lighted to indicate tothe operator that apparatus unit AUZ is in its closed position.

After the operator has operated apparatus unit AU2 to the desired position, he restores select key SK2 to its normal position thereby effecting the deenergization of vswitching 4relay A2, control relay AX and 4starting relay STR at control station CS and the deenergization of selection relay SR2 at the remote station where apparatus unit AUZ is located. The appara-tus 'is thereby restored to its normal .positlon and start lamp STL is again lighted.

It will now be assumed that apparatus unit AUI is automatically opened in response to overcurrent relay OCI closing its contacts a and completing through auxiliary contacts a of apparatus unit AUI, an energizing circuit for trip coil TCI. By opening its auxiliary contacts c and closing its auxiliary contacts d, apparatus unit AUI transfers the remote end of conductor `IS'I from the negative terminal to the positive ter- Amirral lof 'battery 'B so that red lampLRI is jextinguished and green lamp "LGI 'is lighted. Also a circuit is completed through white lamp LWI and winding of relay ATfrom the positive terminal of battery B through auxiliary contacts d of apparatus unit AUI, operating winding OW of selection relay SRI, conductor ISI, white lamp LWI, contacts b of select key SKI, which is now in its normal position, contacts b of disagreement key DKI, winding of relay AT to the negative terminal of battery B. The current in this circuit is not sufficient to operate selection relay SRI butris suicient to operate relay AT. By closing its contacts a, the relay AT completes an energizing circuit for the Winding of pilot lamp relay PLR across the positive and negative terminals of battery B. By closing its contacts a, relay PLR completes a locking circuit for itself through the normally closed contacts of pilot lamp key PLK and by closing its contacts c, relay PLR completes across the positive and negative terminals of battery B a circuit for lighting pilot lamp PL. By closing its contacts e relay PLR completes a short-circuit around the winding of relay AT. This feature maintains full voltage on the white lamps in case several are operated simultaneously. After the operator has been informed by the lighting of pilot lamp PL and white lamp LWI that apparatus unit AUI has been automatically tripped, he can select and reclose it in the usual manner or leave it in the open position. I-Ie extinguishes the white lamp LWI by moving disagreement key DKI to the position thereof corresponding to the open position of apparatus unit AUI. I-Ie then extinguishes pilot lamp PL by momentarily opening key PLK in the locking circuit of relay PLR.

While I have, in accordance with the Patent Statutes, shown and described my invention as applied to a particular system and as embodying various devices diagrammatically indicated, changes andmodications will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters `Patent'of the United States is:

l. InV a supervisory system, a control station, a plurality of remote apparatus units, an individual conductor lfrom each unit to said station, a battery, means associated with each apparatus unit for selectively connecting the adjacent end of the associated individual conductor to different terminals of said battery in accordance with the position of the unit, individual signaling means at said station for each apparatus unit selectively controlled in accordance with the terminal of said battery to which the remote end ci" the associated individual conductor is connected, an individual control Winding associated with each apparatus unit, a control conductor extending from said station to all of said apparatus units, individual selective relays associated with each control winding for connecting it to said control conductor, each relay having an operating winding connected in series with the respective individual conductor and a holding winding, a second conductor extending from said station to all of said apparatus units, means at said control station for controlling the current in an individual conductor so as to effect the operation of the associated selective relay, means responsive to the operation of a selective relay for completing an energizing circuit for the associated holding winding through said second conductor independently of the position of the associated unit, means responsive to the energization of said second conductor for operating the individual signaling means corresponding to the operated selective relay to indicate that said relay has been operated and means at said control station for controlling the energization of any control winding connected thereto.

` 2. In a supervisory system, a control station, a plurality of remote apparatus units, an individual conductor -from each unit to said station, a battery, means associated With each apparatus unit for selectively connecting the adjacent end of the associated individual conductor to different terminals oi'A said battery in accordance with the position of the unit, individual signaling means at said station i'or each apparatus unit selectively controlled in accordance with the terminal of said battery to which the remote end of the associated individual conductor is connected, an individual control Winding associated with each apparatus unit, a control conductor extending from said station to all of said apparatus units, individual selective relays associated with each control winding for connecting it to said control conductor, each relay having an operating winding Connected in series with the respective individual conductor and a holding winding, a second conductor extending from said station to all of said apparatus units, individual switching means at said control station for each unit rorcontrolling the current in the associated individual conductor so as to ei'Iect the opeartion of the associated selective relay, .a signal at said control station individual to each unit, means responsive to the operation of a selective relay While the associated individual switching means `is, operative for completing through saidl secondV conductor a series circuit for the associated holding winding and signal, and means at said control station for controlling the energization of any control winding connected thereto.

3. In a supervisory system, a control station, a plurality of remote apparatus units, an individual conductor between said station and each unit, a battery, means associated with each apparatus unit for selectively connecting the associated conductor to the positive and negative terminals of said battery in accordance with the position of the apparatus unit, a lamp at said control station individual to each unit, a two-position disagreement key at said control station individual to each unit for selectively connecting the associated lamp between the associated individual conductor and the positive and negative terminals of said battery, a signal, and means responsive to a predetermined current through any lamp for efecting the operation of said signal and an increase in the current through the lamp.

4. In a supervisory system, a control station, a plurality of remote two-position apparatus units, an individual signal conductor between said station and each unit, a battery, means associated with each apparatus unit for selectively connecting the associated conductor to the positive and negative terminals of said battery in accordance with the position of the apparatus unit, a lamp at said control station individual to each unit, a disagreement key at said control station individual to each unit and having positions corresponding to the positions of the associated unit in which it connects the assounit winding to ciated lamp between the associated individual conductor and the terminal of said battery so that both ends of a conductor are connected to the same terminals of said battery when an apparatus unit and the associated disagreement key are simultaneously in corresponding positions, a signal, and means vresponsive to a predetermined current through any lamp for effecting the operation of said signal and an increase in the current through the lamp.

5. In a supervisory system, a control station, a plurality of remote apparatus units, an individual conductor between said control station and each apparatus unit, a control conductor common to said station and all of said apparatus units, an individual winding associated with each apparatus unit and normally disconnected from said control conductor, individual selective means for connecting each apparatus said common conductor, individual control means at said control station for operating each selective means over the associated individual conductor, means at said control station for controlling the energization of an apparatus unit winding connected to said control conductor, a second conductor .common to said station and all of said apparatus units, individual signaling means at said station for each control means, and means responsive to the simultaneous operation of an individual control means and an individual selective means for completing over said second conductor an operating circuit for the signaling means Yassociated with the operated control means. 5 6. In a supervisory system, a control station,

a plurality of remote apparatus units, an indi- Vidual conductor between said control station and each apparatus unit, a control conductor commonl to said station and all of said apparatus units, an individual winding associated with each apparatus unit and normally disconnected from said control conductor, individual selective means for connecting each apparatus Aunit winding to said common conductor, indi- 15 vidual control means at said control station for operating each selective means over the associated individual conductor, means at said control station for controlling the energization of an apparatus unit winding connected to said control conductor, a second conductor common to said station and all of said apparatus units, an individual signal lamp at said station associated with each control means, and means responsive to the simultaneous operation oi an individual control mans and an individual selective means for completing` through said second conductor an operating circuit for the signal lamp associated with the operated control means. 30

CLYDE E. STEWART. 

